How to Enjoy the Holiday Season Whilst Staying Fit and Healthy
The holiday season is notoriously known for its ability to make healthy dieters lose their self-discipline. It is not uncommon for many people to gain more weight during the period from Thanksgiving through to Christmas and the New Year. A medical study revealed that the weight of an average American goes up by 0.4% and 0.2% at Christmas and Thanksgiving, respectively. During the holidays, there is an over-abundance of unhealthy foods at every gathering. So, how can you stay fit and healthy during this period? Read on to discover some tips.
Eat before heading out
As confusing as this may sound, there is palpable truth in filling up your tummy before heading out to family dinners or visits. There is a natural human tendency to eat more when surrounded by friends and family at festive feasts. Conversations, laughter, and jolly good times increase your appetite and cause you to lose track of the quantities consumed. By consuming such sugary, relatively unhealthy meals, your body releases a hormone known as Dopamine. Also known as the ‘feel-good hormone,’ Dopamine increases during mealtimes and doubles over, especially with high fats and sugary foods. Unfortunately, the Christmas season is the perfect opportunity for a flurry of these foods at buffet dinners. Therefore, leaving little room in your stomach for any more food just before you step out is a convenient and healthy practice as it allows you to eat in minimal healthier portions.
Remember to set and track your festive season goals
Perhaps, now is the time to be thankful for the advent of the internet and technology. As you workout at home or take brisk walks, continue to keep a close eye on your weight loss regime by making use of gadgets and apps such as calorie counters, fitness trackers and even a weight loss calculator. These apps help you monitor and maintain your fitness progress while holding you accountable. They also keep you focused by rewarding the goals you attain throughout the festive season. However, regardless of all your fitness targets, try not to set the bar higher than what you can reasonably achieve. Being overly critical of your appearance or meal intake is an unhealthy practice. Allow yourself to indulge in a few delicious treats. The keyword is to do so in moderation. Moreover, if your entire year was saddled with busy schedules and managing the pandemic’s impact, do something different. While observing all social protocols against COVID-19, visit loved ones or set a date for an outing with them.
Avoid skipping out on strength routines
Strength training is required to maintain your physique and muscle mass. Perhaps, you stayed on track throughout the year in building that muscle tone. Why would you lose sight of your gains and instead slow down during Christmas? Understandably, the festive period unconsciously makes people relax their usual routines as a way to get a well-deserved break. That should not be the scenario in your case. Therefore, it helps to prioritize your workout sessions without giving in to the temptation to slow down. If you want to avoid comments such as, “Just relax, it’s Christmas time,” then you must wake up earlier to train when everyone else is sleeping. If you cannot visit the gym during this time, now is the time to purchase some resistance bands and a pair of gliders. These exercising items can easily do the job of helping you build and maintain toned muscles. It would be best if you aimed at losing as many calories as consumed at Christmas.
Be mindful of colds and keep them at bay
The common cold is rampant during Christmas, and the winter season is partly to blame. Cold viruses thrive in chilly weather and cause debilitating effects on the human immune system. It is advisable to minimize your exposure to the chilly weather by keeping warm at all times. Boost your fruits and vegetable intake and, where necessary, include vitamin supplements. Vitamin C is excellent at fighting flu and the common cold. Strengthen your body’s immune system by getting enough sleep and being mindful of stress. Anxiety and tension are dangerous to the overall wellbeing of your body. Besides, science has proven that both can compromise the immune system and make it more prone to ailments. Maintain a good sense of humor and strive to engage in activities that help you flush out negative tendencies. After all, “Tis the season to be jolly.”
Do not compromise your water intake and skincare
By now, you already know the many health benefits of staying hydrated at all times. The body loses fluids through urination, sweat, and digestion. During the winter, temperatures drop, which sucks out moisture from the atmosphere and makes the air drier. When this happens, the skin, hair, and entire body receive insufficient moisture. That is the more reason you should stay hydrated. Adequate water intake as well as the variety of meals you will be consuming helps flush out waste and toxins from your internal organs whilst also improving blood circulation. In addition to the above, it is helpful to increase your usage of skin and hair moisturizers. Non-comedogenic products are the best options to use. What this means is, they do not clog pores on the skin or scalp. More importantly for your hair, non-comedogenic hair shampoos help infuse moisture and essential oils into strands without weighing your mane down.
You may have noticed how gyms get packed to capacity immediately after the festive season. In most cases, these people intend to lose the extra pounds packed on during the holidays. Fortunately for you, there is a leeway to stay fit, healthy, and enjoy the holiday. The principal guideline is to be mindful of what you do during the period. Admittedly, this article is not an exhaustive list, but everybody should adopt the fundamental practices listed here to stay fit and healthy while enjoying the holiday season. You should also explore other ways you can be as healthy this season. Now is the time to get ready for the much-awaited festive season.